This charming town is as far as we came on the Nivernais canal in 2009 when we did our last rental before buying Armida, so we are about to retrace some steps. This is not a problem because the canal continues to delight and we look forward to taking more time.
However the Nivernais is the second most popular in France after the Canal du Midi and the stretch from here is busier than what we have done so far. Saturday is Bastille day and the unofficial start of the holidays so we are in “Tupperware” territory as seasoned cruisers dismissively refer to the fibreglass rental boats. Having done many rentals ourselves we are sympathetic but confess to some amusement as we watch them sidle into locks, bump into moorings and run around like crazy throwing the ropes. As long as they keep their distance from Armida’s paint we will stay amused.
We arrived Thursday morning to get a prime spot in this little port as we plan to stay for the festivities and the locks are closed on Bastille day anyway. Our timing was good as it filled quickly in the afternoon. The Nivernais was the centre of timber supply for Paris in the late nineteenth century when huge masses of logs were floated down the Yonne river, and Clamecy was the base of the woodmen. So as well as the parade in the morning and the fireworks in the evening there will be “jousting” on the river in the afternoon which is apparently how the woodmen used to amuse themselves.
The weather has been grey and cool for the last few days with clouds scudding low over the hills. Today it has settled in to a steady rain. If it continues like this tomorrow we may only have the tupperware.
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